Your #2014LLE Learnings are in: Relationship Lessons Dominate!

First and foremost, Happy New Year! I hope it’s gotten off to a great start. I especially appreciate your faithfulness in coming to Blue Ink and sharing your thoughts. I hope it continues to be a source of inspiration and encouragement for the coming year.

In my previous December-post I made the case for first “looking back” to identify lessons-learned before “looking forward,” and jumping-in to the traditional rhythm of defining resolutions and goals for the new year.

I took it a step further by challenging you to exchange lessons with others to enrich your learning experience even further – thus the kickoff of #2014LLE – the 2014 Lessons Learned Exchange.

The results are in and the response was amazing! I’m impressed by the time many of you took to share very personal reflections and thoughts – thank you! What stood out as a central theme was your focus on relationships – communication, sensitivity, resolving conflict, support, etc. (important!…and likely a subject of a future post).

Here’s a quick summary of the main points via direct quotes from your comments (for the full text see the comment section of the last post):

1. Give it all You’ve Got (no holding back) – the biggest lesson I learned in 2014 is that there is no value in holding back. Most of my life, I have been a person who gives less than everything. This year, I learned that the only way to approach life is to give everything you have in any relationship or endeavor that is placed before you. (David)
2. Have a Plan, but be Flexible – one of the biggest lessons learned in 2014 has been the importance of combining strategic planning/goal setting with flexibility. Having a plan is vitally important and gives me direction, momentum, and purpose. At the same time, I realized more than ever in the past 12 months that any plan must adapt and evolve along the way. (Joshua)
3. It’s Not About You – people don’t care how you feel, they care how you make them feel. Actions and emotions can have an unintentional ripple effect – even when the ‘expresser’ has moved on…You can choose to be right or be in a relationship (at work, home, etc.) but not both. (Kenneth)
4. Take the First Step – the key to initiating something is taking the first step – even if it’s a wrong one (which could mean criticism!) and you have to make a course correction (Kenneth)
5. Gift of Emotion, & Mercy of God – I have seen how outright calamity and the disappointments of life have directly affected those close to me. Something I have grown to appreciate this year is the supremacy of Christ, and the mercy God has given us. I learned that the challenge is not to internalize our emotions, but to manage them in the proper way as to glorify God and refresh our spirit. (Jack)
6. “Oops I Messed Up” – this year I have learned its OK to say “Oops I messed up”! If you truly feel the decision you are making is the best decision then I say go for it. If it doesn’t work out then SO WHAT! What’s the worst that can happen if it doesn’t work out? You have to apologize? You have to start over? (Brandalyn)
7. The Power of a Support Team in Crisis – one of the GREATEST lessons that I learned this year is that when in a CRISIS assemble a TEAM! YOU need to be open and look around, be humble and gracious enough to accept the care from people who you never thought can step up in this type of a situation. (Geoff)
8. You Have a Unique Gift to Give – my gift to my friend is the gift of myself. It’s my time, my smile, my cheerfulness, my caring. Each of us has our own love language – that’s why friendships are special. (Lydia)
9. Waiting for the Right Friendships: One of the biggest surprises in 2014 were several friendships that developed. I’ve learned that friendships are worth waiting for God’s timing. Some come so unexpectedly and I couldn’t be more thankful. (Elizabeth)

If you weren’t able to participate, or have something to add, don’t hesitate to jump in. It’s never to late to learn…and, it’s vitally important. The quote by G Santayana (cited in the last post) sums it up best: “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes.”

Picture: www.thearabdailynews.com